Sports Watch

Associated Press - May 26, 2009 3:43 AM ET

Nuggets square series

DENVER (AP) - Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony shot just 3 for 16 Monday night while playing through a stomach virus and a sore right ankle. That didn't stop Denver from squaring the NBA's Western Conference finals at two games apiece.

Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith each had 24 points to lead the Nuggets past the Los Angeles Lakers 120-101. Kenyon Martin delivered 13 points and 15 rebounds for Denver, which posted its eighth blowout win of the postseason but their first against the Lakers. Anthony managed to provide 15 points in 34 minutes.

Kobe Bryant scored 14 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, but the Nuggets lit up the Lakers for 43 points in the final period of a game that featured four technicals and 84 free throws.

Game 5 is Wednesday at Los Angeles.

Another wet day at Lowe's Motor Speedway

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) - David Reutimann (ROOT'-ih-man) to earn his first Sprint Cup victory with some help from his crew chief and Mother Nature.

Reutimann captured the Coca-Cola 600 Monday when the rain-delayed race was shortened after 227 of a scheduled 400 laps due to persistent rain.

He took the lead when he gambled and didn't pit with the leaders during a caution for rain on lap 222 of 400. His hope was that it would rain so long, racing would not resume. It didn't.

Pole-sitter Ryan Newman finished second and Robby Gordon was third. NASCAR's longest race was scheduled for Sunday but rain moved it to Memorial Day for the first time in its 50-year history.

Indians shock Rays...Padres keep winning...Brewers win on pitching

(AP) - It's been a terrible season for the Cleveland Indians, and it appeared they were on their way to a lopsided loss after falling behind 10-0 in the fourth inning.

But the Indians erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the ninth to pull out an 11-10 win over Tampa Bay. Victor Martinez ended it with a two-run single after Ryan Garko belted a three-run homer earlier in the ninth. Garko also hit a two-run shot that started the Cleveland comeback.

The Indians improved their American League-worst record to 18-28 by beating the Rays in Cleveland for the 14th straight time.

Also in the American League, Alex Rodriguez responded to the hearty boos in Texas by matching a career high with five hits in the Yankees 11-1 drubbing of the Rangers. Rodriguez drove in four runs in his first game in Texas since admitting earlier this year that he used steroids while playing for the Rangers from 2001-03. Phil Hughes tossed eight shutout innings for New York, which has won 11 of 13.

Jason Bay and Kevin Youkilis (YOO'-kih-lihs) hit two-run doubles, and the Boston Red Sox started a 10-game road trip with a 6-5 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Jonathan Papelbon survived a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth by pinch-hitter Joe Mauer to get his 12th save.

Jeremy Guthrie allowed a run over seven innings and Aubrey Huff knocked in two runs as the Baltimore Orioles beat Toronto 4-1. The Blue Jays have dropped seven straight to fall into third place in the AL East, a week after owning the league's best record.

Jim Thome (TOH'-mee) passed Mike Schmidt for 13th on the all-time home run list, launching his 549th in the Chicago White Sox's 17-3 laugher against the Los Angeles Angels. Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko also went deep as part of Chicago's 24-hit attack. Vladimir Guerrero went 0 for 4 as the Angels' DH, hours after coming off the disabled list.

Miguel Cabrera had three RBIs and 4 of Detroit's season-high 19 hits in a 13-1 laugher at Kansas City. The Tigers have won 23 of their last 31.

Travis Buck homered and scored three runs in Oakland's 6-1 triumph against Seattle. Athletics second baseman Adam Kennedy is batting .441 after going 4 for 4 with a two-run double.

Over to the National League, where baseball's hottest team was among the coldest less than two weeks ago.

The San Diego Padres have stretched their winning streak to 10 games by turning a six-run deficit into a 9-7 victory at Arizona. The Padres scored five times in the eighth to get within 7-6 before Scott Hairston's RBI single tied it an inning later. Chase Headley followed with a two-run homer in the 10th to put the Padres a game over .500.

The winning streak comes after San Diego had dropped 19 of 23.

Milwaukee won a pitchers' duel against St. Louis as the Brewers beat the Cardinals 1-0 on Bill Hall's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the 10th. Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter took a perfect game into the seventh inning, and the Brewers' Yovani Gallardo (gy-YAR'-doh) carried a no-hitter into the sixth. They both ended up allowing two hits over eight innings.

Hall's game-winner snapped his 1 for 28 slump.

Freddy Sanchez just missed tying Rennie Stennett's modern major league record for hits in a game, going 6 for 6 with three RBIs and four runs scored in leading Pittsburgh to a 10-8 win over the sputtering Chicago Cubs. Sanchez hit a two-run homer, doubled and singled four times for the second six-hit game in the majors this season and the first by a Pirate since Wally Backman did it in 1990. Sanchez entered the game in an 8 for 45 slump.

The National League action also includes the Los Angeles Dodgers' 16-6 rout of Colorado as James Loney, Russell Martin, Juan Castro and Matt Kemp had three hits each. Juan Pierre hit a bases-loaded triple for the Dodgers, who scored seven times in the fourth and eight in the seventh.

Gary Sheffield belted a go-ahead, three-run homer as the New York Mets topped Washington 5-2 to pull within a half-game of first-place Philadelphia in the NL East. John Maine picked up the win by holding the Nationals to a run and four hits in six innings.

Wes Helms slammed a three-run homer and had four RBIs as Florida beat Philadelphia 5-3, denying Jamie Moyer of his 250th victory. Winning pitcher Chris Volstad allowed three runs and six hits over 6 2-3 innings, including two homers by Ryan Howard.

Travis Ishikawa had a career-high four hits, including a three-run blast in San Francisco's 8-2 pounding of Atlanta. Edgar Renteria slapped a two-run double to support Jonathan Sanchez, who allowed two runs over five innings in his first victory in over a month.

Jonny Gomes (gohmz) had three hits and three RBIs as Cincinnati topped Houston 8-5. The Reds made the most of 3 Houston errors, scoring eight unearned runs.

New deal for skipper, season-ending injury for Rays infielder

(AP) - Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon has been rewarded for leading the Rays to the World Series last season, receiving a 3-year contract extension that runs through 2012. Maddon is in his fourth season with the American League champions, who posted a winning record for the first time in 2008. He was named AL manager of the year after leading the team to 97 regular season wins, a 31-game turnaround from the previous year.

But Maddon won't have the services of second baseman Akinori Iwamura (ah-kee-NOOR'-ee ee-wah-MYOOR'-uh) for the remainder of the season. Iwamura had to be carried off the field Sunday after tearing a left knee ligament in the eighth inning against the Florida Marlins.

Rays president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman says Iwamura will have surgery after the swelling goes down.

In other major league news:

Seattle catcher Kenji Johjima (KEHN'-jee JOH'-jih-muh) likely will be out at least two weeks after breaking his left big toe on a play at the plate during Monday's loss to Oakland.

The short-handed Mets likely will decide on Friday whether to put shortstop Jose Reyes on the disabled list. Reyes hasn't played since Wednesday after hurting his right calf at Los Angeles, an injury that kept him out of 7 games on a 10-game trip.

New York Yankees reliever Brian Bruney is headed back to the disabled list because of a recurring right elbow strain.

The Florida Marlins have placed reliever Renyel Pinto on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his left elbow.

Day 2 results

PARIS (AP) - Men's top-seed Rafael Nadal (rah-fay-ehl nah-DAHL') has broken the French Open men's record for consecutive wins with a 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Marcos Daniel of Brazil. Nadal won his 29th straight match at Roland Garros on Monday, topping the mark held by Bjorn (BYORN) Borg, who won 28 straight from 1978-81. Nadal also equaled the overall record, matching the 29 straight Chris Evert won between 1974-75 and 1979-81. Evert did not play at the French Open from 1976-78.

Roger Federer opened his quest for a fourth straight trip to the French Open final by beating Alberto Martin of Spain 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Federer lost to Nadal in each of the last three finals in Paris. The 13-time major champion needs to win the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam.

Sixth seed Andy Roddick won a match at the French Open for the first time since 2005, knocking off French wild-card entry Romain Jouan 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.

TORONTO (AP) - The NHL has fined Chicago coach Joel Quenneville (KWEHN'-vihl) $10,000 for harsh criticism of officiating in his team's loss to Detroit in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.

Quenneville complained over a roughing call against defenseman Matt Walker as the first period ended Sunday. The Red Wings scored on the ensuing power play 1:13 into the second period, giving them a 3-0 lead in a 6-1 victory that puts them up 3-1 in the series.

Quenneville says the penalty call was probably the worst in the history of the sports.

Another title for Syracuse

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) - Cody Jamieson scored his second goal of the game with 2:40 left in overtime as Syracuse rallied from a three-goal, fourth-period deficit to beat Cornell 10-9 and win its second straight NCAA lacrosse championship. The Big Red took a 9-6 lead with 5:31 left in the fourth before the Orange came back to win their unprecedented 11th college lacrosse title.

Tournament Most Outstanding Player Kenny Nims scored with 4.5 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime.

Longhorns tabbed as top seed

(AP) - The University of Texas has been selected the top seed for the 64-team Division I baseball tournament. The Longhorns are 41-13-1 and won the Big 12 tournament for the fourth time. They will host 1 of 16 four-team, double-elimination regionals that begin Friday.

The other national seeds, in order, are: Cal State Fullerton, LSU, North Carolina, Arizona State, UC Irvine, Oklahoma and Florida.

Daly to return to PGA Tour in Memphis

(AP) - 2-time major champion John Daly says he has been reinstated by the PGA Tour and plans to return in three weeks at the St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Tenn.

Daly was suspended for six months in November following a series of off-course incidents that brought negative publicity. The latest was a picture of him in an orange jail suit with his eyes half-closed after being locked up to get sober in North Carolina.

Tyson's daughter on life support

PHOENIX (AP) - Police in Phoenix say former boxer Mike Tyson's 4-year-old daughter is on life support after she was found with her neck caught in a cord of a treadmill machine.